Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica

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Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica, Ottawa

Interior of Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica is an ecclesiastic basilica in Ottawa, Canada.

[edit] Description

The Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica is the oldest church in Ottawa and the seat of the city's Catholic archbishop. It is located on Sussex Drive in the Lower Town part of the city. Its twin spires and gilded Madonna are easily identifiable from nearby Parliament Hill and the surrounding area. The interior of the church is brightly painted and decorated with carved features, exquisite stained glass windows and hundreds of statues of various religious figures.

Services are held in both French and English. Admission is free. The church is open daily for self-guided tours and prayer.

[edit] History

The site was originally home to the small wooden St. Jacques Church built in 1832. This structure was destroyed in 1841 to make way for a larger stone structure, which was originally designed in the Neo-Classical style. In 1844, after the lower section was completed, it was decided to redesign it to be a more standard Neo-Gothic structure. Thus lower features, such as the main entrance, are Neo-Classical while the rest is Neo-Gothic. The main structure was finished in 1846, but it was not until 1858 that the steeples were installed. The steeples are topped with standard French-Canadian tin clochers. Its exterior is fairly reserved, but the interior is as ornate as any church in Canada. In 1847 it was elevated to a cathedral, and in 1879 to a basilica. The church was recently renovated and restored in the late 1990s.